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Old 06-25-2007, 04:28 PM   #91
lifer
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bring_Back_Shantz View Post
Okay, but you're working on the false assumption that the time on the road is the determining factor.
Think about what causes the accidents? Road hazards.

Let's say your drive home is 10 km.
You drive at 60km/h and it takes you 10 minutes.
in that time you had to avoid junk flying out of one truck you passed, three pot holes, broken glass, and 1 guy driving at well below the speed limit.

Now you're doing the same drive, but at 80km/h.
Since you're going faster you're passing more cars over the same distance, so the chance of having to aviod flying junk out the back of a truck is greater, as well as the chance that you'll have to pass someone doing well under the speed limit. The broken glass will be there no matter how fast you go, as will the potholes.

As I said, the time on the road is irrelevant as the determining factor is road hazards, which are a factor of distance, not speed.
In the case of bad drivers, or freak occurances involving other cars, it is the number of cars you pass that is the determining factor, not the time on the road. The more Cars you pass (which increases with your speed) is increased.

So the example of driving faster being quicker hence safer is not even close to the reaction time arguement. The main difference being that the premis of one is true while the premis of the other is false.
True, and I hadn't thought of it in this light, though time on the road will still be somewhat of a factor. For example, if you spend significant amounts of time driving on roads that are not divided highways, the less time you spend on the road the less oncoming traffic you will pass, so the less danger is posed by them. Also, as I said above, the number of dangerous incidents that occur on a given stretch of road will be higher over a longer time frame than a shorter one. It follows that the less time you spend on that strech of road, the less danger you are likely to face. That cannot be disputed...or can it?
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